Well, there's not much tasting note in this first wine related entry in the Wine Diary, but it captures the essence of what I love about wine. Marvin and I were business associates, and I spent hours listening to Marvin talk about how he had learned about wine. Our company had many wine lovers -- opera was another passion -- and Marvin studied the top guys intensely.

He had learned that wine is only one of wines pleasures -- if you have time, he said, he and his wife loved to study wine intensely -- it brought out the science in this regulatory lawyer who was devoted to science. After his daughter was born, he and his wife became hedonists. I remember him teaching me why the dry air in the planes made it tough to savor the aroma and the full flavor of wine. We talked about wine for as long as I worked for that company, and after retirement, we talk about it still.

One funny note: I had my new portable computer; as Vice President of Administration I signed the vouchers after all. We were in business class with 12 other guys. My battery went dead, and not one of us could figure out how to get my replacement battery into the computer. Every single one of us had a computer -- but mine was newest. Taught me alot about how real people deal with technology.

A bit later I walked through tourist asking for help and a 12 year old switched batteries in much less than a minute.

[i]5/__/95 Event: Trip to Scotland with Marvin F_____ and good wine talk. Marvin used to be an expert but has stopped because his daughter takes too much time at dinner time, and he and his wife are unable to discuss what they are drinking.[/i]

My mother's 13-year-old neighbor hooked up her Web-tv system (so she could receive and send e-mail but without a printer) and strung the cables over the doorframe for her so she wouldn't trip on the cords.

A precocious six-year old was using a hand-held computer device to prevent boredom at a wedding reception. Someone remarked that it was impressive that at her age she knew how to operate that computer. She said "I was operating more complicated devices than this when I was four!" (And she probably was)